OIC no more: Cheloy Garafil is new chief of Presidential Communications Office

MANILA, Philippines — Lawyer Cheloy Garafil is the new Secretary of the Presidential Communications Office (PCO), after serving as the office’s officer-in-charge.

This was announced by the PCO on Tuesday, as it posted a photo of Garafil taking her oath before President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

“President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. leads the oath-taking of Atty. Cheloy Velicaria-Garafil as the new Secretary of the Presidential Communications Office,” the post read.

PHOTO FROM Presidential Communications Office

Garafil first served as the OIC of the now-defunct Office of the Press Secretary in October 2022, following the resignation of then Press Secretary Trixie-Cruz Angeles.

Prior to that, she was the chair of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB).

Before pursuing a career in public service, Garafil was a reporter for the newspaper Malaya, covering various beats such as the judiciary, the police, and the local governments.

She then worked for the (now-defunct) Philippine Daily Globe and the Central News Agency of Taiwan.

READ: LTFRB’s Garafil tapped as Palace media OIC

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